


The Hamster's Hope

by SchalaDresdan



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Fairy Tale Curses, Fairy Tale Style, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22155700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SchalaDresdan/pseuds/SchalaDresdan
Summary: When Phichit, the crown prince of a neighboring kingdom, and Christophe's dear friend, died mysteriously, Chris was crushed. Then two years later, a talking hamster arrives at the palace, claiming to be Phichit. Is it really him? And if so, can Chris find a way to break his curse?
Relationships: Phichit Chulanont/Christophe Giacometti
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9
Collections: Cursed Princes, YOI Rare Pair Week 2020





	The Hamster's Hope

**Author's Note:**

> This is the third piece in the Cursed Princes series. The first story, [ The Prince's Promise](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17064164/chapters/40124555), was also written by me and is a Victuuri story based loosely on The Frog Prince. The second one is [ The Ferret's Frolic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17458724/chapters/41111360), an Emil/Michele story written by my beta, Aurone.
> 
> It is not necessary to read the other stories before reading this one, but they do connect to each other.

Prince Christophe stood in front of his mirror. He studied his appearance and nodded in satisfaction.  _ The burgundy shirt looks stunning. I’m glad Mother talked me into it. Now for the finishing touch. _

Chris moved to pick up the small diamond stud off of the dresser. His finger slipped and caused the earring to roll off of the dresser. Chris gasped as he fell to his knees. He searched the floor desperately for the earring before coming to the conclusion that it had rolled into a small hole in the wall. One too small for him to reach into.

_ No, not that. I can’t lose that. It’s the only thing I have left… _

_ The last thing he gave me. _

Chris hid his face in his hands as tears came to his eyes.  _ He was my best friend… _

He felt a soft nudge on his knee. Chris looked down in surprise. There was a small, dark colored hamster looking up at him. The hamster opened his mouth and, to Chris’ surprise, said, “What’s wrong, prince?”

Chris cleared his throat in an effort to regain his composure. “I lost an earring. It rolled into a hole in the wall.” He pointed to the hole.

The hamster turned and studied the hole. “I think I can fit in there. I could get it for you.”

Chris’ face lit up in a smile. “Could you? Please?”

The hamster nodded. “Just give me a moment.”

The hamster turned and sniffed at the hole.  _ Okay, it looks like I can fit. And I want to help Chris. I… I’ve missed him… _

_ I wonder if he even remembers me? _

The hamster quickly scurried into the tiny hole. It was dark and dusty. He sneezed as he allowed his eyes to adjust to the dark. He squeaked in delight when he saw the earring lying a short distance away. 

_ Wait, it can’t be. There’s no way that he would still have it. _

The hamster shook his head as he picked up the earring carefully in his mouth. He backed up out of the hole slowly.

“Did you find it?”

The hamster turned around, the earring still held carefully in his mouth. Chris’ face lit up. He held out his hand and let the hamster drop the earring into it. “Thank you, you have no idea how much this means to me.”

The hamster quirked his head slightly. “It’s no problem. But why is this earring so important to you. Can’t you afford nicer ones?”

Chris sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “It was a gift. From a friend.”

“They must have been very important to you.”

Chris nodded. He took the earring and slipped it into the hole in his ear. He put the back on the stud to hold it into place. “He was. His name was Phichit. He was a prince from a neighboring kingdom, fostered here.”

The hamster asked, “Was?”

Chris took a deep breath. “Yes, was. He… he was murdered.”

The hamster squeaked in alarm.  _ What?!? He thinks that I was… That I’m dead?!? How in the seven hells am I going to convince him that I’m me? _

The hamster asked slowly, “What happened?”  _ What lies did that witch spread? _

“Phichit’s mother died, and he was called back to his kingdom. He gave me this when he left. It was one half of a set he always wore, given to him by his mother before he came here. He told me that now it would be like we were together…”

_ I loved him… _

“It was not long after he left that the news of his father’s and Phichit’s untimely deaths reached our kingdom.”  _ I locked myself in my room, cried for weeks. I can’t… it’s been nearly two years and I still can’t believe that he’s truly gone… _

“But you said that he was murdered…”

Chris turned his head away, hiding the tears forming in his eyes. “Tch, they said it was a skating accident. That he fell through the ice. No body was recovered. So no, I don’t believe that he died in an accident.”

“I think his uncle’s new wife had him murdered. Or did the deed herself.”

The hamster sucked in a shocked breath.  _ Oh my Gods… somehow he figured it out… _

He squeaked out, “Um… I don’t know if you will believe me or not… and you have no reason to believe me… but…”

The hamster took a deep breath. “I’m Phichit…”

Chris looked down at the hamster in shock. “What?”  _ I knew that this was no ordinary creature. Hamsters are not native here, and truly intelligent, talking creatures are extremely rare. But the idea that this creature is a person? And not just any person, but Phichit? _

“I know, it seems ridiculous, but I swear to you that I’m telling you the truth.”

Chris’ head was spinning.  _ I want to believe him. Gods, I would do anything if it were true. For him to still be alive. _

Phichit moved closer to Chris. “Is there something, anything, I could do to convince you?”

Chris shook his head. “I… I just need some time to think… You may stay in the palace in the meantime.”

Phichit let out a soft, sad squeak. “I… understand…”  _ I wanted him to believe me. But if our roles were reversed, I’m not sure I’d believe this either. Usually this is the stuff of fairy tales. It’s not supposed to be possible to turn a human into an animal like this… _

Chris picked himself up off the floor and all but fled from his room. His footsteps were unusually heavy as he quickly moved through the castle halls.  _ Some fresh air, that’s what I need. A walk in the gardens to clear my head. And then maybe I can deal with this. _

“Christophe? Is everything all right?”

Chris sighed as he turned towards his mother, Queen Amalia. “I think I have a bit of a problem.”

Amalia took his arm and patted it gently. “Let us take a walk in the garden. You can tell me what vexes you, and perhaps we might find a solution?”

Chris nodded.  _ Surely Mother can help me figure this out. There has to be a way for me to find out, one way or another, if what the hamster said was true. If he’s really Phichit… _

Amalia rested her arm on Chris’. As they walked towards the gardens, Chris began to tell her what had happened to him that morning.

***

“… And after the hamster told me he was Phichit, I just… left. I just couldn’t. What am I going to do, Mother?”

Chris sat down heavily on a bench. He put his hands in his hair and pulled slightly. His chest felt tight.  _ If it’s really Phichit, then this is the best thing that could have possibly happened. But if it’s not… _

_ Who could play such a cruel joke, especially after I told them about what happened to him? _

Amalia sat down next to Chris and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. “I can’t imagine that anyone would play a joke this cruel on you, Christophe. There would be no reason. So perhaps the hamster is telling the truth?”

“Gods, I want that to be true. So badly.” He rested his head on Amalia’s shoulder.

“I know.”

Chris sighed. “But how can I…? It’s been two years, Mother.”

Amalia smiled. “Hamsters have tiny legs, and it is a long distance between our palaces.”

Chris nodded slowly. “And if he walked the entire way, it may very well have taken that long…”

“It seems like you might have arrived at an answer?”

“I think I have. I have no reason to believe him, but I have no reason  _ not _ to believe him. So, for the time being, I will choose to believe that this hamster might be Phichit.”

He stood and straightened his shirt. “I should go, and have a real conversation with him. If he is who he says he is, I should be able to tell rather quickly.”

Amalia nodded. “Christophe… I hope he is who he says. I know how much Phichit meant to you.”  _ Everyone could see that you were in love with him. And how losing him nearly destroyed you. _

Chris leaned over and kissed Amalia on the cheek. “Thank you, Mother. Now, if you’ll excuse me?”

“Of course. Good luck, dear.”

Chris nodded his thanks as he turned to leave the gardens. He hurried back up the stairs to his room.  _ I just hope that the hamster… no Phichit, it’s Phichit… I hope he’s still there. I was… cold with him. Almost cruel. I hope that he can forgive me. _

He opened the door to his room and looked down as he entered the room.  _ I must be careful. I wouldn’t want to step on him. _

Chris scanned the room, but saw no sign of Phichit. Chris sighed, disappointed.  _ I don’t blame him, not really. I’m not sure if I would have stayed either… _

“Phichit?”

He heard the tiniest little squeak, followed by a soft, “You… do you believe me?”

Chris let out a sigh of relief. “Yes… or at least I think I do.” He scanned the room again. “Where are you? I don’t want to risk hurting you.”

“It’s fine. I’m under your bed.”

Chris stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. “What are you doing under there?”

“I didn’t want to bother you. Y’know, if you didn’t believe me. And I feel safe under here.” Phichit’s voice grew quieter. “And I always did feel safe under here, with you…”  _ And you had no idea how I felt about you. Not that it would have changed anything. I would have still been called home, forced to ‘fulfill my duty to the kingdom’. So keeping my feelings a secret… it was for the best. _

Chris smiled a little. “We did spend a lot of time hiding from our tutor under this bed.” He crossed the room and knelt down next to the bed. He could just barely make out the small dark shape of the hamster in the shadows. Chris sighed as he carefully crawled under the bed.

“I haven’t been under here in ages.”

Phichit uncurled his body enough to look at Chris. “Really? Why?”

Chris shrugged his shoulder slightly. “I don’t know. It just didn’t feel the same, I guess.”

Phichit made a pained squeak. “I’m sorry, Chris. I didn’t know that she would tell everyone that I was dead. And I tried to get here as fast as I could. But…” He sighed. “I’m so small like this. And I couldn’t travel in the winter. I tried.” 

Chris took a deep breath and slowly let it out.  _ I almost believe him. I want to believe him. Gods, if he’s really Phichit… _

_ I need a test of some sort. Something that only he would know. But what…? _

Chris’ eyes went wide as the perfect idea hit him. “I want to believe you. I really do. But I’m sorry, I still have doubts. So would you mind terribly if I asked you a question? Something that only Phichit would know?”

Phichit squeaked out, “Go ahead.”  _ Ask a million questions if you need to. I just want you to believe me. _

“On my twenty first birthday, Phichit brought me a bouquet of flowers he picked in the gardens. What were they?”

Phichit closed his eyes as he pictured the flowers. “They were pink primroses. They were the only flowers I could find blooming that early. I still remember how they smelled, the look on your face when I gave them to you. You saved one, pressed between the pages of your favorite book. It’s right there, on the desk.”

Chris gasped.  _ It’s really him. It’s Phichit. He’s alive.  _ Tears came unbidden to Chris’ eyes. Phichit moved closer to Chris. He placed his tiny paw on Chris’ finger.

“Chris? Are you okay?”

Chris sniffled loudly and nodded. “Yes, it’s just… I thought you were dead for two years…”

Phichit rubbed against Chris’ hand. “I wasn’t, and I’m here now. I’m sorry that it took me so long.”  _ I would never want to put you through any pain. _

Chris smiled and wiped the tears from his eyes. “No, it’s okay. I know you wouldn’t have done so on purpose.”  _ It’s just a little overwhelming, learning that the man that I have been in love with for years is alive, after all this time. _

_ I had always hoped that I would finally find the courage to tell you how I felt. Not that it would have made a difference. You were already betrothed to a princess from the east. There is no way that our parents would have let us be together like that. But I wish I could have told you. _

“Please stay, Phichit.”  _ I don’t want to lose you again. _

Phichit nuzzled closer to Chris’ hand. “I had no intentions of leaving.”

Chris let out a sigh of relief. “I’ll take care of you, keep you safe. And we’ll try to find a way to reverse your curse.”

“I don’t mind it all that much. If I had to be turned into an animal, a hamster isn’t too bad.”

Chris carefully ran his finger over Phichit fur. “But if we could find a way, don’t you want to be human again?”

Phichit squeaked out, “Of course I do. But I also know that… there might not be a way to break it. And we can’t ask  _ her _ what she did… she would kill us.”  _ She would kill you, and I couldn’t live with that. I can live as a hamster, if it means that you’re safe. _

Chris nodded. “I still want to try.”  _ I want nothing more than to break your curse, to make you human again. But if your fate is to remain like this forever, then I will make sure that you are the most well cared for hamster in all of the kingdoms. _

**Author's Note:**

> This is my second piece for the YOI Rare Pair Week 2020. Today's prompt (day 2) was travel/ **mythology or fairy tale**. I hope you enjoy it, and look forward to another Phichimetti story tomorrow.


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